


Lost and Found

by Rosedelio



Category: Touhou Project
Genre: Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:47:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23957131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosedelio/pseuds/Rosedelio
Summary: A short story about how Keine and Mokou met.
Relationships: Fujiwara no Mokou & Kamishirasawa Keine
Kudos: 2





	Lost and Found

Everywhere she looked there was bamboo. She got dizzy trying to find where she came from. She understood why this was called the “Bamboo Forest of the Lost.” After a while she sat down and began to cry.

“Need help?” A woman in a red hakama extended her hand towards the crying girl. Despite the kind gesture, the woman had a stern face.

The girl wiped away her tears and held the woman’s hand. “Thank you,” she replied. She grabbed her bundle and followed the woman as they made their way out of the forest. The girl thought it was amazing that this woman knew exactly how to get out.

When they exited the bamboo forest, the girl gave the woman a hug and said, “Thank you so much!”

“Don’t get lost again,” the woman replied. She detached herself and walked away.

“But, I have to go back. The doctor in the forest mansion told me to.”

The woman stopped and thought about what the girl said. “Fine. I’ll bring you there and back. Where’s your parents anyways?”

The girl paused for a moment. “They… kicked me out because of my disease. They said on the full moon I become an uncontrollable beast that destroys everything in sight. The villagers say the forest doctor can cure anything. So, I went to see her and she told me to come back on the next full moon. If she can cure this, I can go back!”

The woman thought about what the girl said. The full moon happened last week. It didn’t seem like the girl had anywhere else to go. “You can stay with me until then.”

“Really? Thanks!” The girl hugged her again. “Since we’re staying in the same house, we should get to know each other. I’m Kamishirasawa Keine. What’s your name?”

“Mokou.”

“Mokou…”

“Mokou.”

“Okay Mokou, where’s your home?”

“In the forest.” She walked back to the bamboo forest and Keine followed her. It was sunset by the time they reached Mokou’s house.

“I’ll cook our dinner,” Mokou said. Keine set her bundle down and took this time to explore Mokou’s home. It was a simple house made of bamboo. The main room had a low table and a few cushions. The kitchen had a stove and various cooking utensils. The stored food was neatly organized. The only furniture in the bedroom was a futon. Clothes were neatly folded next to it. On the wall was a small, plain kimono. It had many stitches.

“What’s the kimono for?” Keine asked.

Just something from childhood,” Mokou replied. “Dinner’s ready.”

Despite Keine’s constant questions, Mokou refused to say any more about her past, eating her meal in silence. When they finished, Mokou made a small bed with the cushions for Keine to sleep on. Keine quickly fell asleep and Mokou followed suit.

The next morning, Keine awoke to Mokou carrying a basket of raw meat. “What are you doing with that?” she asked, rubbing her eyes.

“I run a yakitori stand. I need to set it up before lunchtime,” Mokou replied. “Go back to sleep or find something to do.” With that she left. Keine went through her bundle and organized the clothes and history books in it. Then she got a book and read a few pages before Mokou returned, basket in hand.

“Actually, I think it’s better if you come with me,” she said. “No annoying questions. I’m only bringing you along because I don’t want anything bad to happen to my house.” Keine complied, bringing a few books with her as they made their way to Mokou’s stand. It was in an isolated spot between the Bamboo Forest of the Lost and the Human Village. Keine read while Mokou prepared the yakitori. She skewered the chicken, placed it on the grill, and lit the firewood underneath with her powers. Keine was amazed by this, but remembered Mokou’s instructions.

During the afternoon, Keine counted two customers who bought some yakitori from Mokou. She was very tempted to ask why Mokou chose such an isolated spot to sell food.

Just as Mokou was preparing to close her stall, Keine spotted two familiar figures. “Mother! Father!” she shouted as she ran towards them.

The man pushed her to the ground. “Be gone youkai! You’re not our daughter!”

“But, it’s really me, Keine,” she said as she approached them. The two slowly backed up.

When they saw Mokou coming towards them, they ran. “Get back here, you bastards!” she roared. Mokou was about to fly after them, but Keine held her back.

“It’s not entirely their fault,” she sobbed. “I wrecked a lot of stuff. They said I almost killed them too.”

They slowly walked back to Mokou’s stand. Keine gathered her things. “Tch, parents. If you don’t meet their expectations, they’ll pretend you don’t exist,” Mokou said before punching her grill. Her stand burst into flames. Keine screamed in terror. “Eh, don’t worry about it. I can build a new one.”

“Sh-shouldn’t we put the fire out?”

“That’s what all this open space is for. Come on, let’s go home.”

Night came by the time they returned. Keine stayed silent on her bed as Mokou made dinner. They stayed silent as they ate until Keine asked, “Could I sleep with you tonight?”

Mokou stared at her for a minute before answering, “I can move your bed into my room, but I am not cuddling you to sleep.” The rest of the night was uneventful, as they finished dinner, moved the cushions into Mokou’s room, and went to sleep.

When Mokou woke up, she noticed Keine staring at the ceiling. “Still thinking about yesterday, huh?”

Keine nodded. “I know why you didn’t want to answer a few days ago.”

Mokou hesitated before replying. “My father was a nobleman. Growing up, I cared very little about court etiquette and became an unwanted child. Every time someone visited us, my family kicked me out until nightfall. I spent that time wandering around the city and the woods. I guess it prepared me for this life. One day I decided to run away with only the kimono behind you. I think I’ve done pretty well over the years.”

The house was silent. Moments passed before Mokou got up to make breakfast. Keine followed her, bringing two cushions to the table. “What are you going to do today?” she asked.

“I need to rebuild my stand. So, I’ll have to salvage stuff from the old stand, gather new materials, and start hammering. You can come with me if you want.” Keine nodded in agreement.

For the next few days, they followed Mokou’s plan. Along the way, Mokou taught Keine how to survive and navigate the bamboo forest, as well as some household chores. They also talked about what Keine was learning in her history books. Keine noticed Mokou was particularly interested in the Asuka and Nara periods.

It was the night of the new moon when the stand was rebuilt. During dinner, Keine asked, “Does this happen often, burning and rebuilding your stand?”

Mokou gave a light laugh. “It does. Guess I lose control sometimes.”

“How did you get your powers?”

Mokou shrugged. “Don’t know. It just happened one day when I was out. That’s why I ran away.”

Keine sighed. “I wish I had powers like yours. Then I could protect people. Instead, I have a disease that makes me a destructive beast.”

There was a lull before Mokou changed the topic. “I’m going to start selling yakitori tomorrow. You … don’t have to come with me if you don’t want to.”

Keine remembered the meeting with her parents. “Yeah, I think I’ll stay here and read. Thanks to you, I know how to take care of myself.” She smiled. Mokou only nodded.

The next few weeks followed a routine. Mokou made breakfast in the morning before going to her yakitori stand. Keine stayed inside and read her books. She made her own lunch as Mokou taught her. In the evening, Mokou came back and made dinner. They talked to each other about their day before going to sleep.

It was soon the day of the full moon. Keine and Mokou travelled to Eientei, anxious to find out what the day would bring. When they entered the mansion, Mokou saw the doctor with some rabbits. “Eirin, Keine’s here!”

Eirin left the rabbits and approached the two visitors. “Mokou, it’s been a while. Kaguya is somewhere outside.”

“I’ll see her later, but I’m here for my friend.” She gestured towards Keine.

Eirin smirked. “’Friend?’ I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you call someone that. Good for you.” She turned her attention to Keine. “I studied the blood sample I took last month, but couldn’t find any abnormalities. I’ll have to observe the symptoms myself tonight. For the safety of everyone here, I’ll have to chain you up.”

Keine nodded. “I understand.”

“Good. You two are welcome to stay here and join us for dinner.” With that, Eirin left.

“Who’s Kaguya?” Keine asked.

“A bitch.”

“Now, now, that’s not a very nice thing to teach a child,” a young woman said behind them.

Mokou turned around and engulfed her hands in flames. “There you are Kaguya! Are you ready to fight?!”

Kaguya walked past the two. “No. You used to come here every day for me, but then you suddenly stopped. A month later, you come back with another girl younger than me. It hurts you know.” She placed her hand on her forehead before turning the corner.

“Aaaarrgh!” Mokou yelled, but Kaguya was already out of sight. “See what I mean?”

“I don’t know. She didn’t want to fight you.”

“Yeah, and she was completely smug about it!” Mokou huffed for a bit before calming down. “Let me show you around this place. That’ll take my mind of things.”

The two walked around the hallways of the mansion, watching the rabbits. Some were helping Eirin prepare medicine. Others were cleaning the hallways and many bedrooms. A few were outside pounding mochi. However, most of them were lazing about.

During their exploration, a purple haired rabbit arrived to meet them. “Master wishes to tell you that dinner is ready.”

“But the sun isn’t even setting yet,” Keine said.

“Master said she doesn’t want to take any chances to find out when your transformation occurs.” The rabbit guided them to the dining room. It was empty except for a table with a bowl of udon soup. “Enjoy,” the rabbit said before leaving.

While Keine sat down and ate, she looked disappointed. “I hope the doctor cures this disease. I don’t want to eat dinner early and get chained up every full moon.”

Mokou shrugged. “It’s only once a month.”

“But a lot of fun stuff happens during the full moon!” Keine retorted. She finished the rest of her dinner in awkward silence.

Soon the rabbit returned to escort them to the prepared bedroom. Inside, Eirin was waiting. The bed was a mattress atop a steel frame. Attached to the frame were four chains; one at each bedpost. After chaining Keine to the bed, the rabbit gave the key to Eirin and left. Mokou sat near the window and watched the sky get darker.

“This room is usually for the resistant patients, but you’ve been nothing but helpful, Keine,” Eirin said.

“I just want things to go back to normal,” Keine responded.

When Mokou saw the moon rising, she heard some growling behind her. She turned around and noticed Keine was convulsing. Horns were growing from the top of her head and her hair was tinting green. “Eirin, what’s happening?” Mokou asked.

“I’ve seen this before. Keine is a were-hakutaku. Unfortunately, it’s a permanent curse, not a curable disease.” At this point, Keine had stopped transforming and was struggling to break free from her chains.

“A curse? I wonder how she got it. All she’s done while living with me were follow me around and read books.”

“Perhaps she read a youkai book and got this curse while trying to understand it. That’s how the last were-hakutaku I saw got it.” Eirin placed her hand on Mokou’s shoulder. “Except for a hot temper, she acted the exact same as a hakutaku as she did as a human. I’m sure Keine will control it in time.” Mokou nodded. Eirin placed the key in Mokou’s hand and left the two of them in the bedroom.

Mokou watched Keine in silence until sunrise. That was when Keine returned to her normal human state. While Mokou unchained her, Keine asked, “What did Eirin say? Is she making a cure?”

Mokou shook her head and relayed what Eirin had told her last night. “No!” Keine cried. “I just want to be a normal human again!” She curled up on the bed and continued to cry.

Mokou hesitated for a moment before hugging Keine. “I know what it’s like to have your body change and no longer feel human. But I also know that things will get better. And I’ll be with you every step of the way.” Mokou could feel Keine nod in acknowledgement.

Mokou comforted Keine until she noticed someone behind her. “What do you want, Kaguya?”

“I’m checking my guests.” Kaguya gave a slight smile. “I’m glad you found a new purpose in life, Mokou.”

Mokou thought about Kaguya’s remark. “I am too.”

“Keine, I know this isn’t what you wanted, but Eirin and I will help you however we can. The rabbits have already made breakfast for you two.”

Keine remained silent. Mokou responded, “Th-thank you, Kaguya.” With that, Kaguya left the two alone.

Mokou waited until Keine got up and left the bedroom. As they walked down the hall, Keine held Mokou’s hand and smiled at her. Mokou smiled back.


End file.
